Is there a genetic basis for seasonal infertility in the pig?
By Julian Wiseman, University of Nottingham School of Biosciences & Grant Walling, JSR Genetics Ltd - Seasonal breeding is a common phenomenon in a large number of wild animal species, including the wild boar, which is a short-day breeder.

Knowledge and Timing – the key to success!
By PIC International - I have come to believe that success in business is all about KT – knowledge and timing. Supermarket loyalty cards are a good example. They gained good information on consumers to target products accordingly. Customers were able...

Freezing Swine Embryos: Do Success Rates Differ Between Breeds?
By Marcelo M. Montagner, Paula B.D. Goncalves, Ginger A. Mills, Ronald K. Christenson, Brett R. White - Successful freezing, or cryopreservation, of embryos could greatly impact the pork industry, serving as a tool for conservation of valuable germplasm...

Does absence make the heat grow stronger?
By Lucy Campbell, Animal Scientist, ACMC - If we are talking about ‘segregated service management’, then J.R. Behan and P.F. Watson would say “Yes”, as is detailed in their article ‘The effect of managed boar contact in the postweaning period on the subsequent...

Should Emotional And Societal Values Be Included In Breeding Programmes?
By Lucy Campbell, Animal Scientist, ACMC - This article looks at the concept of including those traits that have no economic importance into a breeding programme. Modern pig production is no longer focused on just economically efficient pork production;...

Obtaining Optimal Reproductive Efficiency
By Dr. Todd See, Swine Genetics Specialist, North Carolina State University - To maintain optimal reproduction and throughput in a swine operation, a complete understanding of the operation and its productivity is required.

Customised Genetics - A Case History
With processors’ specifications becoming more and more specialized, US-based Andrew Coates, PIC’s Technical Services Director for Genetics, describes how a custom selection index can be designed to deliver to the most exacting contracts.

Controlled reproduction of the pig: The benefits of P.G. 600
By Jan Baars, Annette Bonde Larsen and Marc Martens, Intervet. - P.G. 600 was developed in the beginning of the sixties and introduced on the Dutch market in 1965. Since then it has been registered in pig producing countries all over the world, including...

Does boar presence influence aggression, shoulder scratches and stress among newly mixed bred sows?
By M. J. Séguin, T.M. Widowski and R.M. Friendship, University of Guelph; R.N. Kirkwood and A.J. Zanella, Michigan State University - This article is taken from the University of Guelph Swine Research Review 2005 report. In group housing systems, the...

Getting The Best Results From Gilt Mating Using AI
By John Goss, PIC UK - This is the third of three articles by John Goss dedicated to the improvement of AI technique and results.

Success with Batch Farrowing
By John Goss, PIC UK - This is the second of three articles by John Goss dedicated to the improvement of AI technique and results.

Handling Pigs for Optimum Performance on the Farm and in the Slaughter
By Temple Grandin, Colorado State University - Observations at packing plants indicate that some lines of hybrid pigs have a very nervous temperament and others are calm. Some pigs are easy to drive up chutes and others are nervous and constantly balk...

Achieving Results Using AI: Could You Do Better?
By John Goss, PIC UK - This is the first of three articles by John Goss dedicated to the improvement of AI technique and results.

Impact of genetic selection on management
By J.A.B. Robinson and M.M. Buhr, University of Guelph - Boars in an artificial insemination centre have been selected for their superior genetic potential, with ‘superior’ being defined as having traits the customer wants transmitted to his herd.

The Effect of Light Type on Gilt Performance
By Jennifer Hannesson, Pork Technology Transfer Specialist, Alberta Government. In Canada, swine barns are mostly intensive confinement facilities, which rely on artificial lighting. The majority of energy for lighting is consumed by breeding/farrowing...

Maintaining Boar Productivity in Hot Weather
By Murray Tong, Ontario Pork - Pork producers and breeders need to ensure they keep boars cool during the hot summer months, according to a new University of Guelph study, that found that the high temperatures of summer lower boar semen quality, sometimes...

The Cost Of Rotational Crossing
By ACMC - While evaluating this article, readers who breed their own replacements may think “well a breeding company would say that wouldn’t they”. If all the following points have had full consideration during the decision-making process then this is...

Maximizing Boar Productivity with Optimum Trace Mineral Supplementation
By Dr. Mark J. Estienne, Swine Research Physiologist and Dr. Allen F. Harper, Extension Animal Scientist-Swine, Virginia Tech Tidewater Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Virginia State University - Trace minerals include iron, zinc, copper,...

Effect of on-farm storage temperature on stored semen quality
By Todd See, Swine Genetics Specialist at the NCSU Swine Extension - Researchers from the University of Guelph in Canada presented the results from an evaluation of on-farm semen storage on 28 farms in Ontario at the recent meetings of the American Association...

A Review of Reproduction in the Pig
By David Chennells MA Vet MB CertPM MRCVS - The performance of the breeding herd is fundamental to the financial success of any pig farm. If pigs are not born they cannot be sold. Recent surveys by MLC/BPEX indicate that the industry is producing only...

Fine-Tuning Fertility
By Judy Maus, Ontario Pork - Researchers look at AI timing and semen preservation to investigate ways of improving swine breeding efficiency.

Fine tuning insemination procedures
By Bernard Peet, Pig Production Training and thePigSite Consultant - Over the last few years I have carried out a number of audits of clients' insemination procedures, usually where farrowing rate or litter size have been below par. Insemination...

Does Prostaglandin Improve Sperm Motility?
By Sarah Snyder, MU Swine Production - This article summarises the results of an experiment to evaluate if the addition of prostaglandin to diluted boar semen has any effect on sperm motility.